


A World Away

by FaiaHae



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018), Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Disabled Character, F/F, It's a spiderverse au!, Loss of Limbs, Mentions of PTSD, She-Ra Secret Santa 2018, Superheroes, Veteran character, and in spidergwen peter parker dies, because I wanted a happy ending, but without the death, in canon spiderman gwen stacy dies, please let me know if something's unclear, so it was based off of that parallel, title is from happy now by zedd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 13:57:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17326301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaiaHae/pseuds/FaiaHae
Summary: But she was alive, and Catra was alive, and until exactly 10am that morning she could be certain of those two things.Only now, Adora’s standing in her suit, in a New York that looks like her New York but isn’t- is just wrong in a way that makes her feel strange- and there’s breaking news in Times Square.It’s her face.But it isn’t, because it’s Adora at 20 years old.And she’s dead.Fuck this day.___A secret santa for xadian-starlight! happy holiday season





	A World Away

Adora had woken up on the wrong side of the bed that morning.

 

Sure, it’d been years since she and Catra had gone their separate ways (since she’d caused the accident that nearly took her girlfriend out of the world entirely)

 

Her ex. Girlfriend,

 

Fuck that still hurt to say.

 

She still woke up with an empty space in her bed and her arm reaching across the too-big bed, even after she’d done a couple tours in the army just to get the hell away from the country and what she’d done, even the bunks were too big, even the hole in the wall apartment felt empty.

 

So she’d gone back to what she was good at.

 

Being Spider-woman.

 

She put the suit back on, older, wiser, and hoped to God Catra didn’t tell anyone who was behind the mask because she was in so much shit with the police. 

 

Whatever.

 

That morning, though, was worse. Maybe running away to the warfront wasn’t the best idea because she woke up with her hands shaking and another dream about Catra dying- not the fall this time, not the events as they occurred, but the front.

 

Once upon a time, they’d planned to enlist together.

 

If nothing else, she thanked that stupid spider for taking that away, even if the way things went wasn’t much better.

 

But she was alive, and Catra was alive, and until exactly 10am that morning she could be certain of those two things.

 

Only now, Adora’s standing in her suit, in a New York that looks like her New York but isn’t- is just wrong in a way that makes her feel strange- and there’s breaking news in Times Square.

 

It’s her face.

 

But it isn’t, because it’s Adora at 20 years old, without the wrinkles at the edges of her eyes, without the wound carved into her cheek, without the burns on her hands.

 

And she’s dead.

_ Fuck  _ this day.

 

___

 

Catra woke up feeling pretty good, all things considered.

 

She’d pulled on her suit and gone about the work of being the one, the only Spider-woman, and didn’t even think about Adora for more than a minute when she passed by the power plant where the accident had happened. She was willing to forgive herself for the stray thoughts that bubbled up at the sight of the building.

 

She caught a couple robbers, fielded the usual questions about the ears from tourists (I’m a jewel spider. They call it a cat-face spider? Eh, can’t please everyone.)

 

Until the hole had opened up under her feet and dropped her in a New York that wasn’t her New York, and Adora’s face was on every screen around her, and for some reason, it was saying that  _ Adora  _ was Spider-woman, and not a cat-cafe owner living in the Bronx (hey just because she didn’t allow herself to talk to her anymore didn’t mean Catra didn’t keep tabs)

 

And she was dead. 

 

Fuck.

 

Except something went off on the edge of her senses, a little prickle she called her Spider Sense. Something shifted in reality and said  _ listenlistenlistenwatchwatchwatch  _ and she looked up just in time to see a shape move behind a sign on the other side of times square. 

 

She focused the eyepiece on her suit. It was a woman in a white and gold suit, a golden spider with long limbs stretched across her torso. 

 

It looked just like the suit Catra was wearing, only sleeker, white fabric instead of black, Gold instead of orange, a hood over her head.

 

And as Catra looked at her, she flinched, put a hand to her head, and looked dead at Catra, tilting her head the same way Catra does to zoom her lenses. 

 

For a long moment, neither of them moved. And then the woman saluted, made a gesture at times square the and the screens as if to say “can’t cross this”.

 

Catra nodded, pointing to a building she used to sit on top of in her own reality ( _ because this had to be a different reality- this wasn’t the future, Adora on the screen was younger, and-) _

 

The woman nodded, turning and shooting webs from her wrist and swinging into the dark. Catra whistled.    
  
Well.

  
That was one point in favor of her theory. 

___

  
  


Adora’s head was spinning as she headed to the top of the building she ate her lunches on the top of in her reality. That woman- in the cat ears with the orange spider on her chest, stripes of orange like scars on her arms- who was she? Why did she set off Adora’s spider sense?

 

The questions build up, but seeing her swinging in from the other side of the building answers a few of them. Another Spider-woman, then. Probably also not from around here, based on the TV and the hiding in the shadows on the other side of the buildings.

 

They get to the top of the building, and Adora sits down on the concrete and squints up, trying to make out the stars. There are only a few, with the light pollution, but it’s easier from this high up.

 

After a moment, she feels a presence at her side, the hum of her senses warning her that it was the other Spider-woman. 

 

After a moment, the stranger spoke.

 

“So. Alternate reality. Spider-woman is Adora. Adora is dead. Suit looks just like yours, but not like mine. The ground was shaking when-”

  
“Wait. You know Adora?”

  
She felt the stranger’s scrutiny, even through the mask.

 

“Know. Knew. Not this one, mine. Mine lost a leg in an accident when we were 17.”

 

Adora was starting to get a funny feeling in her chest, and the panic on her face must have showed, because the stranger tipped her head (you get used to broadcasting your body language in the suit). “Do you know her?”

 

Adora pulled off her mask.

 

“You could say so.”

 

There was a long moment of silence, and then the stranger wheezed. Adora raised her eyebrows.

 

“You alright?”

 

“Oh, fine. Just...realizing this was more complicated than I thought.”

 

“How...so?”   
  


The stranger pulled off her mask, except she wasn’t a stranger, and holy  _ shit,  _ Catra was wearing the suit, Catra was Spider-woman, and Catra was here and-

 

Fuck.

 

__

 

Catra wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but she was utterly thrown for a loop when Adora started  _ crying. _

 

“Are you-”

 

Adora made a pathetic little choking sound, trying to wipe her eyes.

 

“No I- I should have known, if I had the accident, that you- that you took my place.”

 

Catra winced.

 

“So in your world, I....”

 

“Yeah.” Adora sniffled. “You were in the power plant when it collapsed. Lost both legs when the rubble came down on them. I haven’t....I haven’t seen you in years. I thought-”

 

“-that it would be safer. I did the same.” For a moment, they just looked at each other, and then Catra’s arms are full of Adora, and Adora’s crying into her shoulder, and all Catra can do is hold her and let her ride it out, except Adora breaking down breaks her heart too, and she buries her face in Adora’s shoulder.

 

“I missed you so much.” Catra manages, and Adora makes a sound like a wounded animal and holds her tighter. Catra rocks her in place, runs her hands in circles on the back of her neck the way she used to like, and finally, finally she gets out the words.

 

“What are we gonna do?”

 

Catra takes a deep breath. She remembers the way Adora always took charge, the way Adora always ran ahead, and wonders if her Adora had changed this much over the years.

 

No. Not hers. Not anymore.

 

She holds her a little tighter.

 

“I...”

 

She couldn’t admit she didn’t know.

 

“I...I think we should visit your grave. I think we need some answers.”

 

________

 

So, that had gone rather poorly.

 

Adora had been more than willing to go along with Catra’s idea, only, when they’d gotten there, there was someone already there.

 

In a costume of her spider suit, which didn’t seem terribly strange, people had been out paying respects by dressing in her uniform all day (and frankly, it was....disconcerting). But something was prickling on the edge of Adora’s senses, and Catra made her stay back, and-

 

And now she was swinging along behind this  _ fucking kid  _ that had apparently  _ electrocuted  _ Catra, and then got her caught on his web, and absconded with her dangling below him.

 

_ Dammit _ Catra. 

 

She took a deep breath, shooting another web and making a last second calculation. She could lift a car- she could lift a teenager and an adult. She aimed, swung, shot, and nabbed them both in a net as she shot upwards, ignoring the half-strangled scream from the kid. Served him right, messing with her tech.

 

She pulled them up, swinging the net in a circle to slow the momentum before she let it drop. The kid was making bug eyes at her, still tangled in the web.

 

“S-Spider-woman?”

 

“I’d say the one and only, but that seems to be less and less true. What were you doing-”

 

And then it hit again. The tingle, all her hair standing on end, and-

 

And the kid was making the same face.

 

Great.

 

Another one.

 

She sighed.

 

“What’s your name?”

 

“Ah it’s- It’s Bow. You said you’d train me- before-” he looked sick, and Adora’s stomach clenched. Had he seen her die?

 

She pulled off the mask, both for the air and as a distraction, because fuck, she was NOT good at this feelings stuff. She hadn’t been good at it with Catra, and she was a solid 15 years out of practice. 

 

“Do you need help getting loose?”

 

“-The fuck, Adora?”

 

Adora grinned, realizing Catra was coming to.

 

“I’d say good morning sunshine, but.”

 

“What happened? Why am I- Who’re you?”

 

Bow went a rather interesting shade of red, and Adora snorted.

 

“He’s the one that electrocuted you and then dragged your unconscious body across half the city.”

 

Adora realized as soon as the words left her mouth that that was a terrible idea- Catra was always temperamental- violent when provoked-

 

But Catra didn’t twist in the net to try to get a swing at him.

 

She just laughed.

  
  


Adora tried not to think about how much she’d missed that laugh. Instead she thought about 15 years of change, and how far a person could come in those years.

 

She felt a terrible little twist in her gut, realizing she’d been thinking of Catra being forever as she was, hadn’t thought about her growing up, changing, moving on-

 

Catra pulled her out of her thoughts, shooting a sharp panel across the backs of her gloves and getting to work on the net.

 

“This your work, ‘Dora? It’s nice.”

 

Adora scuffed the toe of her shoe, looking down in time to miss Catra’s blush.

 

“I’ve had a lot of practice.”

 

“So. Um. Not to interrupt but....what’s happening?” Bow sounded a tad hysterical. Catra and Adora exchanged glances.

 

“Actually, we were sort of hoping you could tell us that.”

 

________

 

Catra settled into the old diner booth feeling more comfortable then she had in years, beside Adora like she’d never left. Her stomach was in knots, but she was almost grateful for the world-ending crap to keep her distracted.

 

Adora, ever the overachiever, had her elbows up on the table and her chin in her hand as the listened intently to Bow.

 

“-So there’s a massive machine, and the other spider-woman said she knew what it was for before she....-” The kid choked, and Catra’s stomach flipped in sympathy. She cut in, running her thumb up the side of her glass just for something else to focus on.

 

“If this world is like mine, Hordak probably wants his family back. Since the machine can...”- she airquoted- “Bring Back The Dead.”

 

Adora was tapping a very frenetic rhythm on the table, and before Catra could think about it, she’d covered her old girlfriend’s hand with hers, squeezed her fingers. Adora returned the squeeze, still looking deep in concentration. 

 

Bow raised his eyebrows at Catra as she flushed, but she was saved from any further internal conflict by Adora muttering- golden girl’s internal monologues rarely stayed internal.

 

“His family died because they ran away after seeing me fight him. Happened years ago, but the man holds a grudge. But we’re here, which means....the other Adora fell into the beam. And the machine works. It’s just....uns-”

 

Adora’s hand went to a death grip on Catra’s, and Catra was about to remark on the weird sensation starting-

 

And then it hit.

 

Every cell in her body felt like it was on fire. Her vision went white-pink-red-blue- a cacophony of colors and shapes and through her squint she saw the shape of her outline go haywire, like a needle sensing an earthquake. 

 

It passed as suddenly as it had started, a brief zap and she was back, panting, and  _ fuck _ what was that.

 

Bow looked....scared. That must have looked as bad as it felt. Fuck. She tried for a reassuring smile, but was pretty sure all she’d done was bare her teeth. He squeaked.

 

Adora took a deep, shakey breath, and stared up at the ceiling.

 

“ _ Fuck.” _

 

_____

 

The plan to break into the building developing the machine seemed sound, but it went to hell pretty much immediately. 

 

Catra stayed in the ceiling, Bow was trying to handle the computer (kid wasn’t nearly as good with technology as he said he was!) and Adora  _ was an idiot. _

 

The scientist who’d been arguing with Hordak had seemed alright, advocating for security, and certainly, Adora had been quite the ladykiller when they were younger, but she seemed  _ badly out of practice. _

 

And then the woman’s hair had come to life, pinning Adora to the seat.

 

“... _ your cells are going to degrade the longer you stay in this reality. It’ll really be quite facinating! I can’t wait for the research opportunity. _ ”

 

And then Catra’s stomach jolted, because  _ oh no. _

 

Adora wheezed out a laugh.

“Hey- I’m sorry, but what’s your name?”

 

“Oh, the kids call me Dr. E.”

 

“And what’s that short for?”

 

Her hair shot out in all directions, lifting her off the ground as she took a welding mask from another strand.

 

“Entrapta. OOoh, do you know me in your reality? Quite fascinating. I hope you have the chance to answer more questions-”   
  


“I think she’s answered enough of your questions.”

 

Entrapta turned, startled, and Catra lunged.

 

Entrapta caught her easily, and out of the corner of her eye she saw the computer start levitating and making for the door. Shit. She had to keep her distracted.

 

Thankfully, that wasn’t proving to be terribly difficult.

 

“Oooh another one! What’s special about you?”

 

Catra grinned, because there really wasn’t going to be a better moment.

 

“Just some suit upgrades.”

 

“Wha-”

 

Catra deployed the blades from her wrists, severing the hair holding her and dropping, lunging underneath Entrapta to grab Adora, and leaving the door open for Entrapta to spot her computer levitating down the hall. 

 

Her shock had loosened her grip on Adora, and Catra wrenched her free and dove through the glass wall, taking off after Bow as Entrapta lunged after them.

 

Adora swore, holding onto Catra’s wrist and sprinting alongside her.

 

“Nice distraction!”

 

“Less talking more running,  _ ladykiller. _ ”

 

________

 

They’d nearly held onto the computer, but Entrapta was fast, and just as merciless as Adora remembered, and she couldn’t  _ believe  _ that the long pink pigtails hadn’t tipped her off. She’d nearly died. Her heartbeat was going like an alarm bell- fast, urgent, loud- and she kept screaming instructions to Bow as he figured out the pace of his web shooters. 

 

And the computer had slipped, and so had Bow, and Adora felt the words get stuck in her throat as she tried to reach for him, and-

 

And then a silver, shimmering net opened in the tree underneath Bow, and he bounced, and Adora hardly had the thought to grab him before a vision in white and pink shot past the edges of her vision.

 

Another set of webs shot toward Entrapta and Hordak’s army of goons, and there was a girl’s voice telling them to  _ go go go- _

 

And she went.

 

They were pulling off their costumes behind a tree- clear of the goons with the bus coming in a minute or so- when Bow made a strangled noise.

 

Adora looked over at their newcomer, raising an eyebrow at the girl’s bright pink and purple hair.

 

“Glaria?” Bow choked out.

 

The girl rolled her eyes, and Adora had to suppress a smile. 

 

“It’s Glimmer. I was lying.”

 

“But-”

 

Catra placed a firm hand on Bow’s shoulder.

 

“Bus is here, c’mon, lets go.”

 

“But-”

 

Catra shot Adora a  _ look _ and Adora nodded- heart making a happy little skip at the fact that they still understood each other after all this time. (and....the universe thing. It made Adora’s head hurt.)

 

Glimmer raised her (pink! What the heck!) eyebrows at Adora.

 

“The bus isn’t here yet?”

 

“Oh, I know. I’m just checking you out.”

 

Glimmer smirked.

 

“Aren’t you a bit old for me?”

 

Adora glared at her.

 

“Funny kid. Where are you from?”

 

Glimmer shrugged.

  
“New York. Somewhere that’s not here. I showed up here a few days ago, saw the big screen that said Spider-Woman was dead, only, I’m not dead? Found Bow, went to his school, saw a documentary that said Dr. E was working on alternate universe science, now i’m here.”

 

Adora sighed.

  
“Sounds about right.”

 

“So you’re Spider-Woman too? But not this one? You look like her”

 

Adora shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable. She remembered the message on the TV. Survived by her aunt, and a wife she’d never heard of, which was just....weird. On her world, she was a fuck-up. Lost Catra, lost her aunt, lost everything. Hardly left the apartment anymore.

 

It wasn’t fair, that her counterpart was dead and here she was.

 

She didn’t realize she’d spaced out until Glimmer touched her elbow.

 

“You know, I think we’re kind of cousins.”

 

Adora blinked.

 

“What?”

 

“Angella’s your aunt, right? She’s my mom. I mean...in my world....”

 

Glimmer’s expression fell. She kicked her foot.

  
“I ran away from home. Y’know, I’m young, and she’s- working in the government. I just...”

Adora bit back a lecture about responsibility, and squeezed Glimmer’s shoulder. She remembered enlisting. 

 

“I get it. Hey- I think that really is our bus.”

 

______

 

Catra could tell Adora was feeling out of it, but she wasn’t talking, and Catra...really wasn’t sure what to do. She had her hair down- trying to distinguish her look from the Spider-woman of this world- but the curtain of it hid her face, and the silence was getting heavy- Bow and Glimmer looking out opposite windows.

 

Usually Adora would be the one to lighten it. 

 

Catra sighed.

 

“Dora, c’mere.”

 

Adora lifted her head, raising an eyebrow, and Catra held up a hair-tie.

 

“But-”

 

“Trust me.”

 

Adora huffed, but turned her head to give Catra access to her hair.

 

Catra went to work- twisting layers of loose braids and letting loose strands fall around Adora’s face. The loose wave of Adora’s hair was perfect for these styles- even if it was very clear that she hadn’t gotten a trim in a  _ long _ time. Catra clicked her tongue at the split ends, ignoring the blush at the tips of Adora’s ears.

 

After a few minutes, Glimmer caught wind of what Catra was doing, and moved to the seat beside theirs and broke out a makeup case.

 

She held Adora’s chin in her hand, and Catra pulled Adora’s braid a little tighter than necessary when she tried to protest.

 

“Let us pamper you, princess.”

 

There was that flush at the tips of her ears again, but Adora stopped protesting and let Glimmer work on her.

 

Bow twisted in the seat in front of them, watching them work with fascination.

 

“You guys are even better at this then my dads.”

 

Glimmer snorted.

 

“I used to want to do this professionally. But well. Y’know.”

 

Bow nodded, as though he were totally adjusted after under a week of spider-man duties.

 

“I just like eyeliner sometimes.”

 

“Well, you can do that part. I like the blush and bronzer and such, but I always fuck up the lines-”

 

“Ooh, I’d love to!”

  
  


By the time the bus pulled into the stop, Adora was dolled up like she was about to go to a summer party, or a wedding, and Catra had to physically resist the desire to give her a kiss on the cheek and fuck up Glimmer’s perfectly applied blush. She wondered if it’d be welcome.

 

As they climbed off, Adora grabbed her hand, and didn’t let it go.

 

Catra grinned to herself, keeping in step.

 

It felt like home.

 

____

 

Talking to Glimmer had given Adora an idea, but she was.....incredibly nervous about it. 

 

Still, they all walked up to the doorstep of Angella’s house- in the same place as Adora remembered, comfortable in white paint and lilac accents on the windowsills and the rails. Catra held one of her hands, giving it a squeeze in reassurance, and Glimmer had a deathgrip on the other.

 

Adora took a deep breath.

 

“Bow, could you-”

 

“On it.”

 

He knocked on the door. 

 

Angella opened it, and Adora’s gut twisted, but her aunt’s face lit up.

 

“I’ve been expecting you.”

 

What?

 

__

 

Catra wasn’t sure what her barometer for “normal” should be anymore, but finding out Angella was keeping a high-tech spider base? A little much. Finding two more spider-women and one more spider-man? A LOT much.

 

The last round of what she was starting to think of as warp-sickness left her flat on the ground, and she heard the others (recovered faster) tearing into Bow as she stayed down.  _what can you do how skilled are you can you shoot poison webs can you set anything on fire can you control your swing can you get back up can you get back up can you get back-_

 

Fuck, everything hurt.

 

She heard Adora yelling, heard Bow fighting her, saw Bow run out. She stayed down. This was a fight she wanted no part of.

 

After a moment, Adora bent over her, offered a hand. Her hair looked less-then-artfully tousled, her eyeliner running a little. She cried when she was angry, cried when she was worried- Catra was almost glad some things didn’t change.

 

Still. Other things weren’t so positive.

 

“You were too hard on him.”

 

She didn’t say it loud enough for the others to hear her- the Spider-Girl in the mecha in blue who’d introduced herself as  _ frosta  _ was aiming a freeze ray at the man in red in black with the ridiculous handlebar mustache and the pirate hat (seriously, who names their baby  _ Seahawk. _ That was a self-fulfilling prophecy.) The last Spider-Woman was in green and white, trying to mediate the argument.

 

Adora sighed.

 

“I know. But he’s just...He’d just a kid. He’s still got his family. We can’t....”

 

_ We can’t ask him to die for us. _

 

Catra grimaced. She read Adora’s face as well as ever.

 

“I know. But who are you going to ask instead?”

She knew the answer. Adora always needed to be the hero, after all. Even more so when she was one. She’d sooner guarantee her own death then risk someone else’s.

 

Adora didn’t admit to it.

 

Catra let the silence sit a moment before she took the offered hand.

 

“C’mon, let's leave the kids and take advantage of what’s left of your make-up. I could use a drink. Hey, Seahawk, you coming?”

 

His face lit up.

 

His sleeve caught fire.

 

As Frosta misfired an ice-web at his head, Catra  _ sincerely  _ regretted extending the invitation.

 

_____

 

Adora was pleasantly tipsy, sitting at the counter of the karaoke bar and watching Seahawk absolutely  _ murder  _ a rap song she was almost certain he’d never heard before. Catra was at her side, taking her time with a glass of cider, humming along and looking relaxed.

 

“Are you seriously enjoying this?” 

 

Catra shrugged.

  
“I enjoy watching people embarrass themselves, princess.”

 

The old nickname made Adora blush, and she hid it behind her glass.

 

When she was sure she’d taken a long enough swig to blame her flush on the drink, she put it down.

 

“Well, he certainly doesn’t seem embarrassed.”

 

“He’s probably drunk.” 

  
Catra glanced sideways at Adora.

 

“-and so are you.”

 

Adora shrugged, happy for the excuse for her blush.

 

“You’re just taking your time because you want to be sober enough to record blackmail.”

 

Catra snorted, but it sounded hollow.

 

“Who would I show it to?”

 

Adora’s chest ached. Who indeed. 

 

“Catra, I-”

 

“Don’t.” 

 

Adora felt her eyes sting, and Catra reached out and took her hand, reaching up to wipe away the tears- taking care not to spread the running makeup.

 

“I’m sorry, ‘Dora, but I don’t think I can stand to talk about our feelings right now. Can’t we just...pretend it’s all the same? That we’re home? That we always were?”

 

Adora dropped her head to Catra’s shoulder, all the words she couldn’t say running through her mind.

 

_ I have to leave you all over again. I never stopped regretting it. Do you think you miss me? Will I ever see you again? _

 

Catra rubbed the back of her neck, taking care not to mess up her hair, and Adora cried into her shoulder until she’d run out of tears.

 

She lifted her head, eyes bleary, and Catra just smiled.

 

It took her breath away.

 

She couldn’t help it- she was drawn in- like gravity- like she’d always be in Catra’s orbit, like she’d never left- 

 

And Catra started to lean in too-

 

And then an alarm sounded outside, and the bar around them flickered violently- different colors and outlines and blurs and figures, and-

 

And it didn’t stop this time.

 

Catra was on her feet faster then Adora could blink, and somehow Seahawk beat them both out the door, and they were sprinting towards Aunt Angella’s house-

 

Frosta and Perfuma meet them halfway, Perfuma holding the drive in a gloved hand.

 

“We have to go- now- the center of the disruptions is Hordak’s mansion.”

 

_____

 

They’d snuck in, smoothly, only a few hitches, and Catra was almost convinced things were going to go according to plan, until they got into the collider and everything went to pieces.

 

They were outmatched and outnumbered- Scorpia, Entrapta, and Shadow-weaver running circles around them in the enclosed space and in between flying pieces of rubble. 

 

And then Entrapta had been blasted back by a wave of sound, shorting out her equipment and knocking her down, and-

 

Catra grinned.

 

“Told you not to underestimate him, Adora.”

 

Bow was with them, in splashes of gold and red, and Catra had half a second to be fiercely proud of him and grateful before a tendril of shadow nearly got her and she had to focus.

 

She could see flashes of the others, but she fought with Adora, back to back, perfectly in sync the way they used to be, ready to take on the world. They dodged rubble and fought their way through, until Scorpia and Shadow-weaver were down, And Bow was against the wall with the drive, ready to activate it, and-

 

And Catra didn’t want to go.

 

As the others dropped into the beam- heading home- She looked up to Adora.

 

“Adora-”

 

Adora grinned, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

 

“Don’t say it.”

 

Catra scoffed.

  
“Giving me a taste of my own medicine, I see.”

 

They were silent for a long moment, but it was one of their turns, and-

The wall blasted open.

 

Hordak was here, and he was  _ angry. _

 

____

 

Adora and Catra fell into the fight, trying to dodge the flying bits of rubble, but Hordak was half-cyborg- their hits bounced right off him, and they were taking hits from the rubble- and the machine was starting to destabilize. Adora cursed, trying to get back up- if she were more agile, if she’d stayed in shape- if-

 

“Go!” Bow yelled, shooting past them as Adora was knocked back onto another platform of tearing metal and concrete.

  
“You need to go, now!”

 

“But-”

 

“Dora.”

 

Adora looked over at Catra, on the other side of the bridge, her suit tearing at the shoulder.

 

“We need to trust him.”

 

“But-”

 

“Go. I’ll be right behind you.”

 

“What am I supposed-” Adora’s throat closed, panic and fear and guilt that this was what she was worrying about in her head. Bow had this- faster than them, with more abilities-

 

With something to lose. 

 

She didn’t have anyone waiting on her. 

 

“Adora.”

 

Catra’s voice cut through the cloud, and when Adora looked back up, Catra had pulled the mask off.

 

“Catra-”

 

Catra lunged at her, and she was in her arms, and they were falling-

Catra leaned in and kissed her- a single moment of warmth and heart-aching bliss- and then she pulled away.

 

“See me again.”

 

She let go.

 

____

 

Adora woke up back in her apartment, her heart light, her suit torn. She stared at the wall for a minute, taking in her empty apartment, the walls devoid of pictures or posters- the pizza boxes on the floor.

 

In a rush, she jumped off the floor, she grabbed her sweater and her shoes, and jumped out the window. 

 

She was soaring over New York- her New York- and she didn’t stop till she’d reached a little cafe in the Bronx- the  _ Eternia. _

 

The neon  _ open _ lit the sidewalk in golds, and Adora realized a bit belatedly that she was lucky it was so dark- she’d lost her mask sometime during the fight with Scorpia. She stumbled in the door.

 

Catra was behind the counter- she’d always been a night-owl, probably always took the night shift to give her employees a break.  There were gold glowing stars hanging all over the ceiling, the floor a deep blue stone that made Adora feel like she’d wandered into the space between universes, suspended again and lost.

 

Catra looked up, a smile already on her mouth, a welcome probably on her tongue that froze in her throat when she caught sight of Adora.

 

Adora stopped, realizing for the first time that this was  _ a really bad idea. _

 

_ Oh god what if she didn’t want to see me, what if she’s with someone else, what if- _

 

Adora took a step back, and Catra shot up, jumping the counter and landing with a tiny bounce on her curved running prosthetics.

 

“Oh I know that look, don’t you  _ dare-” _

 

“Catra-”

 

“Don’t you dare walk in here and then try to run out on me again, I swear to God, Dora, I will  _ end you. _ ”

Adora snorted, despite herself, and Catra’s glare lightened. She sighed, dramatically.

 

“Hey, I can still take you. I mean it. Now get over here, and let me clean off the blood and- is that  _ makeup? _ You can tell me what you’ve been up to in the last couple of hours- days- weeks- years-”

 

Adora let Catra drag her to the bathroom, feeling like a puzzle piece had fallen into place.

 

She was where she was meant to be.

 

_______

 

Catra woke up face down on the concrete, feeling like she’d just been hit by a truck.

 

Above her, she heard an awkward throat clearing.

 

Oh god, that had better not be-

 

She glared up at her universes version of Scorpia, who looked genuinely uncomfortable.

 

“Please tell me you haven’t been waiting here since I left.”

 

“Oh, of course not. I took breaks for pizza. Did you- wanna pick up where we left off?”

 

Catra dropped her head to the pavement.

 

“Why are you even a supervillain?”

 

“Oh. Um. Profiling, I guess? I got big pincers and a poison tail. Seemed a good fit.”

 

“Can we just....get a drink sometime and talk about your life choices? I think you’re too good for this.”

 

“Oh! Well, sure. If you’re buying? I haven’t robbed a bank in a while. Did you wanna....do that now? You look like you could use a drink.”

 

That was very tempting. 

 

Too bad there was something she needed to do first.

 

_

 

Catra couldn’t help but flinch when she heard the bell ring above the door. She was hoping to enter a bit more quietly.

 

Adora was sitting behind the counter, petting a cat that was sitting contently on the granite. She looked up, not even blinking at the sight of Catra in the doorway- in her suit, torn and bleeding. She adjusted, wheeling herself out, and Catra’s face must have held the question because Adora smiled up at her.

 

“Don’t make that face. I’m just tired. I wanted to stay late- I had a feeling.”

 

Catra smiled, despite herself.

 

“A good feeling?”

 

Adora hummed, scooping a cat into her lap. 

 

“Spider-woman’s disappearance made the news. I had a friend keep an eye out for strange energy signatures. There was a bit of a spike a few hours ago. And then another one 20 minutes ago. You made good time.”

 

Catra spluttered a moment, before managing-

 

“ _ Which friend? _ ”

 

Adora grinned.

 

“Jealous?”

 

“No!”

 

Adora hummed in that infuriating way she had when she knew she was right.

 

“My cousin’s a smart girl.”

 

_ She sure is. _

 

Catra sighed. She could never stay too many steps ahead of Adora.

 

Adora smiled up at her, bemused.

  
“So are you going to tell me where you’ve been? Pick a cat, I’ll make you some coffee.”

 

Adora wheeled herself away with the same infuriating self-assurance she always had, and Catra couldn’t help but smile to herself.

 

She was home.

  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
